Rutzen said most authoritarian regimes do not allow for the formation of any type of peaceful group, whether it is a student association or environmental group.

“Sometimes in Washington we hear that the antidote to authoritarianism is the passage of legislation,” he said. “But as we all know far too well, the law can either be a shield protecting human rights or a sword to undercut them.”

He said Libya under Moammar Gadhafi’s rule is an example of a country with barriers against civil society.

Related

Students across campus are spreading awareness against sexual assault this week through a series of photo shoots for the Every1 Campaign, an organization that seeks to increase awareness of consensual sex and sexual violence. According to Shuangyi Hou ’15, president and creative director of the ­­Every1 Campaign, the idea to use a photo series to spread consent awareness began with group founder Leah Salgado ’12 in spring 2012.